Chapter 18

After Jiang Fengming finished his meal with Miss Yang, it was already late at night. He didn't choose to spend the night with her, but went straight home. On the way back to his villa from Beiming Mansion, he was in a very good mood.

The plane trees lining Victoria Street had lost all their leaves, and sparse, withered yellow leaves along the curb were swirling in the cold wind, making a soft rustling sound. Jiang Fengming bent down and stepped out of the car, humming a little tune, and stood at the courtyard gate.

The lights were still on in the townhouse, and Jiang Fengming guessed that his elder brother must have returned. His brother was still awake so late, waiting for his instructions. That was also why he hadn't chosen to spend the night with Yang Shu. Thinking about all the things on his mind, he wished he could rush upstairs immediately and tell his brother the good news.

Yu Congyi stood in front of the living room's French windows, a cigarette glowing in his right hand. Smoke drifted out of the room through the half-open window beside him. Hearing a noise behind him, he turned around and saw Jiang Fengming. "You're back."

Jiang Fengming took off his coat, breathed on his hands to warm them, and instructed the servants, "It's so cold, quickly turn on the heating."

“Brother,” he then sat down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and took out a cigarette case from his pocket. He looked at Yu Congyi with great pleasure and said in a mysterious tone, “I learned a big secret today.”

Yu Congyi stubbed out his cigarette, closed the window, walked over to him, and sat down beside him. He coaxed him, "Tell me, what secret?"

Jiang Fengming leaned forward, pulled a lighter from under the table, lit his cigarette, and slowly took a drag. He looked at Yu Congyi, his eyes gleaming, "Do you know that Auntie and that guy Yang Ruinian are having an affair?"

Yu Congyi hadn't expected this topic and didn't immediately grasp his meaning, so he paused for a moment before shaking his head. Seeing his expression, Jiang Fengming said mysteriously, "Wow! The Beiming Mansion is full of hidden talents. I went there tonight to have dinner with the Yang family's daughter, and one of their remarkable maids told me some things. Oh, she was initially hesitant to talk, but after I made a slight gesture, she confessed everything. Brother, you wouldn't believe it, this could easily be written into a scandalous tale and published in the newspapers!" He then leaned to the side, draped his arm over Yu Congyi's shoulder, and laughed loudly, "You wouldn't believe that Yang Ruinian is such a scoundrel! This Yang family, I think they're finished! Not only can they not beat me now, but I also have leverage over them!"

Yu Congyi finally snapped out of his shock and looked at the other person very seriously. "You just said, Aunt and Yang Ruinian?"

"It's a long story." Jiang Fengming took another drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke. "Yang Ruinian and my aunt actually knew each other a long time ago, but they had only met once and didn't know each other's identities. You know my aunt, with her looks, she's quite attractive to those old men, and Yang Ruinian naturally was too... But if my aunt married into the Yang family, wouldn't she become Yang Ruinian's stepmother? So Yang Ruinian refused."

He glanced at Yu Congyi and saw him looking at him seriously and intently. He immediately became excited, finding it quite amusing. "Since this father and son are fighting over a woman, things are getting interesting… Auntie is really something, she has them both completely under her thumb. It doesn't matter whose bed she's in or who she sleeps with, it doesn't bother either of them. She'll just outlast one of them. The Yang family only has one son, so even though Yang Xiang is furious, he doesn't dare do anything to his son… In the end, Yang Ruinian probably couldn't take it anymore," Jiang Fengming chuckled, deliberately describing the scene vividly, using vulgar language, and speaking with a gleeful smile, "…he asked his father to divide the family property. Since it's a division, the woman can't be split in two, right? Guess who Auntie chose?"

Yu Congyi remained silent.

"Yang Ruinian has guts! Hahahahahaha..." Jiang Fengming burst into laughter after saying that, leaned closer to Yu Congyi and hugged him, shaking him a couple of times, his tone full of schadenfreude, "Old man Yang Xiang would never have thought he'd end up like this! His own woman is with his son, and she even mocks him for being impotent, saying he can't get an erection even with drugs! Shouldn't he be furious? This is worse than being stabbed with a knife, hahahahahaha! Auntie is quite the talker, I think the old man is lucky he didn't faint, do you think he should hate his son and Auntie from now on?"

"Did Yang Xiang kill your aunt?" Yu Congyi asked at this moment.

“Yes, no, not exactly him, but he’s definitely involved. It’s just that he wasn’t the one who did it. The Tang family’s young master and Lu Jin in the last photo, they were the ones who killed Auntie. Yang Xiang was the mastermind behind it all.” Jiang Fengming thought for a moment and said with interest, “So, brother, think about Yang Ruinian’s reaction at the dock last time, and his attitude when he begged us this time. It all makes sense… Oh, and also, Yang Ruinian was kept completely in the dark about this. He’s investigated so thoroughly but hasn’t been able to trace it back to his father.”

He kept talking, but Yu Congyi's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

“Brother, don’t you think the Yang family father and son have opened our eyes?” Jiang Fengming said with a smile. “Although Aunt is also a pitiful person, she’s not much better than them. It’s clear that the three of them are the same kind of people, a den of snakes and rats.” He didn’t dare to show those lucky words in front of Yu Congyi. He always felt that his elder brother would not like his thoughts, so he smiled but did not reveal the deeper reason for his ease.

After Jiang Fengming finished speaking, he wiped away the tears that had come out from laughing, and took a moment to look at Yu Congyi. He found that the other man was not laughing, but rather had a very serious expression, with his brows furrowed and remaining silent.

"Brother, what's wrong? Why aren't you smiling?" Jiang Fengming rubbed his eyes, pulled back a handful of hair, then raised his cigarette and took a deep drag. Before he could continue speaking, he heard Yu Congyi say, "Is everything you've said true?"

"Huh?" Jiang Fengming was taken aback; Yu Congyi's reaction was unexpected. He had grown up with his older brother and knew that his brother was usually quite serious and reserved, but this lack of humor and even questioning tone still sounded off to him. He instinctively defended himself, "Yeah, this..."

"We don't know who that servant is, nor do we know what kind of stories she might make up. After all, we can't trust anyone we don't know well."

Jiang Fengming was taken aback by Yu Congyi's words and immediately responded, "Brother, are you stupid? These words must all be true. That maid has no reason to lie to me, much less to slander the Yang family in front of me, let alone my aunt. She's too busy trying to please me to do this. It's clear that what she said must be true!"

“Not necessarily!” Yu Congyi emphasized, repeating, “Not necessarily. You and I aren’t from the Yang family, how could we know what happened between them?!” He almost lost control as he said this, his fists clenching without him even realizing it, his heart pounding faster than it had been, making him feel panicked.

Then, Yu Congyi realized he had lost control and suddenly calmed down. However, his heart was still pounding, as if gripped and repeatedly kneaded by some invisible force, and the muffled thumping in his ears was the gradually clearing sound of breathing. An incredulous, heart-wrenching, and stubborn resentment choked him, making him unable to speak as if he had swallowed a piece of rust. Jiang Fengming had no intention of giving him any chance of leniency. He said decisively, "Even if you and I are not actually from the Yang family, if you think about it carefully now, these clues have already been there, haven't they?" He paused, then, realizing something, raised his eyes and met Yu Congyi's gaze directly. "Brother, why are you speaking up for them? Isn't the Yang family's situation advantageous to us?"

Yu Congyi closed his eyes briefly. He didn't disbelieve Jiang Fengming's words; he was simply heartbroken and resentful, overwhelmed by Jiang Jiejie's predicament and behavior within the Yang family. Was the one he dared not embrace, yet cherished so dearly, the one whom they had chosen to trample upon? He wanted to believe that all of this was out of her control, the absurdity and jokes of bystanders, mere fodder for their amusement.

Jiang Jiejie had her own difficulties and her own choices. They were like two parallel lines that would never intersect, each traveling along their own life trajectories, neither truly entering the other's life. Yu Congyi had understood this all these years ago, so how could he still be so emotional after hearing these things? He questioned himself, pounded his heart, yet he still couldn't truly calm down. He didn't want to believe what he heard or felt, so he would refute it, and then he could forgive it. But all of this didn't require him to speak for her, to forgive her on her behalf. He had no such obligation; he was nobody to her, he was nothing at all.

“Feng Ming…” Yu Congyi swallowed hard, feeling a gaping hole in his chest. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I, I just, was afraid you would be deceived by others.”

He had deceived himself again, and he had deceived Jiang Fengming as well. He shouldn't have defended himself; these futile, false words, the moment they left his lips, made his throat tighten again. Yu Congyi suddenly wanted to slap himself, to teach himself to be more responsible and frank, but when the words came, he sadly realized he simply couldn't do it. It was too deep, this matter was buried too deep in his heart, so deep it was suffocating, like a swampy mire dragging him step by step into the abyss. He owed no one anything, and no one owed him anything. He wanted to stop himself from indulging in this useless obsession and self-pity. But the answer was clearly still no. Why must the world always be like this, staging scenes of love and separation, resentment and hatred, such tragic dramas?

Jiang Fengming clearly couldn't see through his inner torment and pain. Hearing what the other said, he sighed, "You scared me to death, brother. I thought you were going to argue with me. If I said something that didn't sound right, brother, you must tell me. But there's one thing I need to tell you, brother, I will never lie to you."

Yu Congyi looked at him, nodded, paused, and said in a low voice, "It was my fault, don't take it to heart."

Jiang Fengming naturally didn't take it to heart. He nodded and leaned against Yu Congyi's shoulder. He tilted his head back, puffing out smoke, his breath brushing against Yu Congyi's chin. "Brother, I've thought it through. If we were to openly discuss Aunt's matter, the Yang family would be the ones who wronged us. But Yang Xiang has kept it from us and inexplicably killed Aunt. That's just too dishonorable. I have to find a chance to teach Yang Xiang a lesson..."

Jiang Fengming was calculating all of this in his heart, but Yu Congyi, though on the same path, was not his equal and could not participate in his thoughts or interject. Amidst the swirling smoke, he breathed slowly, his mind still replaying Jiang Fengming's description of the unspeakable events involving the three Yang family members. His mind had calmed, and a feeling akin to despondency slowly crept into his heart, making him suddenly feel that he might be capable of letting go of Jiang Jiejie. Yes, letting go of someone is easier said than done, yet it was possible, and only for a fleeting moment.

Yu Congyi hadn't completely let go of Jiang Jiejie. He turned his head, gazing out the window, his ears catching a faint dripping sound. It was the sound of raindrops falling on the windowpane. This was the first rain of the winter; after this rain, the weather would grow even colder, and Tianjin would truly enter the last long winter of the year. The raindrops outside flew obliquely, whipped by the cold wind, striking the windowpane, much like his current mood—still unable to find peace, yet—in this world of dust, he would eventually understand love and hate.

"What do you plan to do about the Yang family?" At this moment, Jiang Fengming's question brought his thoughts back to the present. Yu Congyi looked away and saw that the cigarette between his fingers had been extinguished.

Yu Congyi lowered his head, his expression almost devoid of emotion, and said, "Kill Yang Xiang."

To avenge my aunt.

"Where is Yang Ruinian?" Jiang Fengming asked again.

Yu Congyi remained silent. Neither of the Yang family members, father and son, were good people; neither could be spared, neither was reasonable nor morally right. However, he knew he couldn't be impatient and had to take things slowly.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Jiang Fengming didn't press him further. After thinking for a moment, he said, "This matter has actually dragged the Tang family into it, which is quite troublesome. I was originally planning to sign a business deal with the Tang family next spring."

“None of that matters,” Yu Congyi said, resting his hands on his knees. “They may not even know that Auntie is a member of our Jiang family.”

"That's true."

At this moment, Yu Congyi suddenly noticed something strange: If that's the case, then Young Master Tang is doing things for money, killing for money, but does he really need this money? The Tang family is one of the wealthiest families along the Haihe River; they certainly don't lack the money the Yang family has. So why did Tang Zefei agree to Yang Ruinian's request? If you think about it from this perspective, then it's very suspicious.

However, he didn't say it aloud. Either way, it was all about revenge, and neither party was innocent.

Yang Xiang couldn't recall when he had met that foreign woman. She was extremely beautiful, a married woman whose husband was rumored to be a famous and wealthy businessman. Yang Xiang had seen her once before at a banquet. That time, he saw her again in a coffee shop. Unable to resist the urge to seduce her, he deliberately spilled her iced coffee as they passed each other. Then, with practiced ease, he pulled out a silk handkerchief from his collar and wiped the coffee splattered on her fair wrist. His movements were gentlemanly, and his smile conveyed appropriate consideration and apology.

“I’m so sorry, please allow me to order you another coffee.” Yang Xiang struck up a conversation with the beautiful lady quite naturally, amazed at how well she spoke Chinese. At this moment, his physique was still intact, his hair was jet black, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were merely a symbol of success and experience. Merrick did not refuse, and after sitting down, she did not object to Yang Xiang sitting opposite her.

Yang Xiang had many lovers throughout his life. Since his wife's death, he had never remarried. He loved all women, whether mature and older, or vibrant and young—anything beautiful. During his relationship with Merrick, this foreign woman's elegant and mature charm deeply attracted him, often leaving him feeling hopelessly infatuated. They went on dates to the park for boating, to Western restaurants, to the theater—all the places lovers frequented. They chatted for long periods, rarely reminiscing about the past, preferring romantic tales… Yet their relationship never progressed further. Yang Xiang didn't know what went wrong; he couldn't accept true Platonic love.

But after a while, he gradually discovered that this woman seemed to have some mental issues. The longer he spent with her, the more unbelievable it seemed. Yang Xiang sensed that she seemed to have an unusually strong desire to control and possess her husband, and even displayed an unbelievable destructiveness and impulsiveness in her words and actions. Yang Xiang gradually realized that this might be the real reason why her heart had never been with him from the beginning. Once, Merrick told him that her husband seemed to have a lover outside, and her thoughts were that she wanted to kill the other person. Yang Xiang suppressed his fear and asked her with a smile, "Then what are we?" Merrick looked at him and said, "My heart has never been with you." This woman's decisiveness and confidence had once deeply attracted Yang Xiang, but he had never been able to fully understand her. Hearing this, Yang Xiang smiled as if he was hurt, and he didn't say anything. He also knew that their relationship was shrouded in secrecy, so he didn't have any beautiful illusions about it from the beginning. He knew early on that not everyone could be easily possessed, and the two of them were not suitable.

Afterwards, Yang Xiang chose to leave Merrick. Their last meeting was also in a coffee shop. Merrick finished the exact same coffee as before and smiled as she watched him leave. Before she left, Yang Xiang gave her a silk handkerchief, smiling and telling her he hoped she would occasionally think of him. When he looked at the woman one last time, she was also smiling at him; her eyes were truly, truly beautiful.

Yang Xiang had no idea how to get rid of Jiang Jiejie quietly, but suddenly his hand went to his chest and he felt a handkerchief. He remembered someone—someone who might be able to help him get rid of this ignorant and arrogant woman.

He ordered someone to steal Jiang Jiejie's most frequently used perfume and, when no one was looking, slipped it into Master Tang's official documents at a social gathering. The rest is history; Yang Xiang had repeatedly succeeded at this tactic of using someone else to do his dirty work.